What Was Given Us
by Xendell
Summary: Destiny's Edge continues their search for Dragons to slay, but don't realize Caithe knows more than they do. When the time comes, choices have to be made; lose your love or lose your life?
1. Into the maze

A/N: This is my answer to all 'What if'-questions. Part one of.. two, I think! Enjoy.

* * *

'Press on,' Eir barked, sweat dripping down her brow as she cut a way through the thick forest with an axe. 'We're close now.'

'You've said that at least five times in the last eighty-seven minutes. I'm starting to, once again, doubt your leading abilities.' Zojja chirped, walking in the Norn's footsteps, small enough to dodge most of the foliage hanging down and growing around them. Eir merely grunted in response, not looking to pick a fight now that Destiny's Edge slowly started bonding again. The heat around them was sweltering and humid, mosquitoes the size of rodents buzzing around their heads.

'Perhaps we could rest for a little while,' Logan muttered. His armor was drenched in sweat, the once white flags on it smudged with green and dirt. Rytlock scoffed as he halted his step.

'Still a weak human after all. Can't stand a little heat?'

'I didn't know you had heat-resistant fur.' Logan retorted, without even glancing up. 'You'd do good by a fireplace. As a rug, that is.'

'That's the wittiest retort I've heard in ages,' Rytlock grunted sarcastically.

'Enough!' Eir said, louder than the both of them, and it was enough to shut them up for a little while. 'We'll take a break,' she decided, throwing down her axe and slumping against a large tree. It made a wet, slicking sound when her back touched the bark, whether from sweat or slimy moss she couldn't tell, and it really didn't matter anymore. Garm sat down next to her, tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. Even Rytlock seemed relieved they had a minute to catch their breaths.

'Can't we just burn this thrice-damned jungle down? Dragons and all?' Logan asked, leaning his elbow on his hammer. 'We have been walking for days. There's no end to it!'

'Would you rather be home, sipping tea with the Queen, then? Honestly, there's nothing stopping you from going back. Nothing ever has.' Zojja remarked, sneeringly, and Eir nudged her, hissing 'Will you cut it out?'

'The heat is getting to all of us. Don't let it cloud your mind.' Caithe said softly, appearing from shadow. She plopped down next to Eir, shoulders just not touching.

'Easy for you to say. You're as much a tree as this godforsaken jungle. Have any water left?' Rytlock grunted. Caithe shook her head solemnly. Logan rummaged through his pockets and found a bottle, and upon the swishing sound of water inside a smile appeared on his face.

'There we go –oh,' he started, then faltered as he looked at the Charr next to him. Scowling, he handed him the bottle. 'Leave some for me.'

'See? They can make friends,' Eir grumpily looked at Zojja, as if to ask, _Why can't you?_

'Well, _they are-_' Zojja started, but was silenced when Garm suddenly perked his ears up, and Rytlock immediately after.

'Hush. You hear that?' They all sat completely still, focusing on the sounds around them. It was far from silent, there was creaking and moaning of the trees and the sounds of animals fighting and screeching in the distance, wind going through the leaves and the low rumble of a storm coming on.

Moments passed and Eir relaxed her tensed shoulders. 'It's nothing, Rytlock, that's the jungle.' She swatted at another massive mosquito. The storm brewed in the distance, growling low.

Caithe sat up and turned, moving her head to try locate the source of the sound. She touched Eir's arm lightly and placed a finger of her other hand on her lips to indicate that Eir should stop talking. They waited, looking for either Rytlock or Caithe to give a sign. After a couple of seconds, they almost simultaneously pointed in the same direction.

'There.' Rytlock said, lowering his arm. Almost as soon as he had said it, a low, groaning sound could be heard, so loud that the ferns around them trembled with the vibrations. Then the jungle tore open and a creature crawled out, taller than a house, on four massive, rotten tree trunks that served as its legs. The bark that had once covered the thing was ripping and falling off, revealing big black crevices and rotting tumors in the body of the beast. There were thorns sticking out of it, and it dragged itself forth on its darkened, disfigured feet, letting out another of those tormented cries, that mostly resembled the sound of a giant rock breaking off from a mountain and forming a landslide.

'What _is_ that?' Logan ground out. Caithe stood up slowly to get a better look.

'An Oakheart, I think. But I have never seen them like this.' Behind her, Eir raised an eyebrow at Zojja, who defyingly shrugged.

'Okay, so we _are_ getting closer.' The Asura said. It was endlessly tempting to add 'whatever', but she somehow composed herself. 'Come on, you. We have a Champion to kill.'

.

The Maguuma Jungle was harsh and unforgiving, but even more so when the storm came. It had turned dark in a matter of minutes, and before any of them knew it, the rain was pouring down and streams of mud were forming around their feet. The mosquitos had now en masse awakened from their slumber and multiplied by the dozens, not leaving any of them alone for a second.

Logan swatted around him, vaguely tempted to use his hammer against the insects, as he was the most assaulted. After him Eir seemed to be the best target, but she had decided not to swat them unless they were actually biting her, but it had resulted in a few rather large, bruise-like marks already.

'This is insane!' Logan complained. 'How can any of you stand these bugs?'

'They don't seem to bother me as much,' Caithe said apologetically, as if that would help his mood instead of worsen it. She heard Zojja sigh dramatically, and didn't need to look at her to know she was rolling her eyes.

'You don't have blood. Of course they don't bother you as much.'

'Wish I didn't have blood,' Eir muttered just loud enough for them to hear. It was so macabre that none of them really wanted to reply, until Rytlock broke the silence.

'I'm drenched because of the rain, and yet it's not even getting any colder.' He said, as Logan nodded in agreement. 'I'm starting to feel strangely nostalgic thinking of Jormag's Champion.'

'Hold on, you squabbling old ladies,' Zojja suddenly said, stopping dead in her tracks. She tilted her head and looked around. 'It almost feels like there is a force field around here. I can't put my finger on it, but it doesn't seem to be electric.' She trailed off, readying to dig out one of her devices from her backpack. Logan lifted his hand and moved it back and forth, looking at the disturbance in the air.

'It's not a force field, this is magic. Mesmer magic.' He narrowed his eyes. 'There might be some kind of illusion nearby.'

'I don't think it's nearby. It would seem impossible, but it looks like these are the fraying edges of an immense magical field. We're lucky I even noticed.' Zojja held up a tracker in her right hand, and it beeped softly every time she broke through the barrier. If she was gloating, she wasn't that obvious about it. Rytlock grumbled low in his throat. 'Ugh, illusions. I despise illusions.'

'Can one creature even conjure up a field this big?' Caithe asked. She stared into the jungle, a troubled look on her face. Zojja looked at the device again.

'Quite plausible. We are hunting a Dragon's Champion, after all.'

.

As soon as they stepped through the force field, it was as if the jungle was silenced. The rain hadn't stopped, but it didn't seem to break through the dome shaped barrier above them. The mosquitoes had also vanished, the only thing left was the sweltering heat. Eir peered into the distance.

'Whatever this magical barrier is, it's huge.' She hacked away at the surrounding foliage. 'Let's get to the center of this thing.'

'I don't like this, not one bit,' Rytlock grunted. 'It feels like we're being wachted.'

'We probably are,' Caithe added. Her hand hovered over her dagger, ready to strike. She tried to breathe shallowly, the sweet scent of the jungle overpowering her senses. The forest seemed to move, more than before, toxic and living, growing, squirming within the boundaries of its own body. Eir hacked at the vines and ferns extending their leaves at them, toxic needles pulsing. Had the things had fangs, they would be bearing them in their venomous aggression. 'We're not welcome.'

'The quicker we clean this mess up, the better. Let's go.' Logan said. For the first time, he sounded reassured and confident, his team at his side again. They all felt the anticipation, coming closer to their target, slowly overcoming their fears and doubt about each other.

As the group advanced onward toward the estimated middle of the dome, Caithe began to notice her surroundings changing. The trees were further between, their bark turning darker as they went along. The foliage on the ground died down to nothing but a mushy, black, rotting mess. Thorned vines still snuck up to ensnare them, they now made up most of the knee-high greens they waded through.

Eir saw Caithe appear next to her from the corner of her eye. She hacked away at an overhanging vine, drowning out the sound of the Sylvari's voice.

'What was that?' Eir asked, not slowing down.

'I said, maybe we should turn back.' Caithe hissed, keeping her distance from Logan, Rytlock and Zojja. 'I have a very bad feeling about this.'

Eir's eyes could not have been wider. She slowed down a little, gaining a moment to look at her friend in surprise. Caithe averted her gaze. It was not unlike her to have secrets, but the Norn would be damned if she were to be blamed for another failed mission because of her team not working together. 'There's something you're not telling me.' Something in Eir's tone made it hard to defy her.

'Eir, it's more complicated than you think-' Caithe started, but the other would have none of her excuses.

'Just spit it out, Caithe. If you have any idea what we're up against, or why we shouldn't fight, I'd rather hear it now than after we lose someone else.' She was aggravated, and maybe would have had more patience had it not been for the last couple of most trying days, but on the other hand Eir was their leader, and she needed to act the part. Caithe bit her lip, and shook her head slowly, falling into step next to Garm, behind Eir.

'It's nothing. Never mind.' Caithe sighed. Eir threw her a worried glance.

'Can you fight?' she asked, as if asking _A__re you okay?_

'Yes.' Caithe answered, clenching her hands into fists. 'I will fight, if I need to.'

.

Caithe couldn't keep her thoughts focused on the task at hand. Ever so often so thought she recognized these thorned trees, or the rotten, vast expanses of land stretched before them, scattered with a few lonesome bushes. It was growing more silent as they tracked on, their feet growing numb and mouths going dry. Caithe shook her head, trying to keep the visions from entering her mind.

A small patch of green grass. Caithe wanted to sit down there, to rest, and imagine she was not here, right now. She vaguely wished things would go back to the way they were. As she heard her name being called, Caithe looked up to see where the sound was coming from. A slender Sylvari sat not too far away from her, extending her hand, a smile on her face. Caithe's heart stopped when she recognized that face - though without thorns, without malice, without sorrow it was, she remembered it. She opened her mouth to stammer her name, but Faolain beckoned her again, that smile still on her face.

Suddenly, Caithe sat next to her, their fingers entwined. She looked at her once partner, and noticed how she looked younger, so much more vivid, less worn down than before. So much more like she used to be. Caithe lifted her hand to stroke her cheek, only to go right through her.

'How much further?' Logan asked, his voice raw. Caithe snapped back to reality, for a moment utterly confused. They had exited the forest, and now were on dry, dead plains. There wasn't even any rot, no thorns, absolutely nothing. Their feet made crunching sounds on the gray sand.

Caithe let out a shivering breath. She could blame the illusion for catching her off guard, but there was so much more. For a moment, she had wished it was real. She had wished she was still carefree and in love. She had wished she didn't know where she was going. Eir stopped walking, and lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the sun.

'I don't know,' she said, after a moment. 'There's nothing here.'

But as soon as she said it, the ground began to shake. They tried to keep their footing as the quakes began to increase in severity, and fault lines began to form at their feet. Eir yelled a command to fall back that barely overcame the sound of the earthquake. Then the vines appeared - thicker than a tree, higher than a Charr - they grew out of the ground, covering the surface of the wastes. They rapidly increased in the numbers, crawling over one another, knitting and sliding together, forming a massive mountain of plant matter on the once-empty land.

Zojja's eyes shot over her various devices, calculating and measuring the energy around her. When suddenly her mouth twisted into a smile, they knew they had found their target.

'Dragon energy readings are more than clear. Whatever it is, it's somewhere in there.'

'We'll have to be careful. That maze may collapse on us just as quickly as it formed.' Eir nodded, hand on her axe. Garm had his ears laid back, and growled low at the massive plants in front of him. Rytlock scoffed, then stepped forward and slashed through the vines with Sohothin, the flaming sword, ignoring Logan's sour face and burning a hole in the vines immediately. With just a few long movements, he had burned through the first vine. The inside of the vine web was less dense than the outside surface, and they could walk in a couple of metres before the paths split in two different directions. Rytlock decided to eliminate the decision by burning down another path right through the middle, and no one questioned his judgement. Caithe let the others walk out in front of her. The vines pulsed with magic, magic that she knew so, so well. It was like strings tugged at her heart and made her stomach turn to ice. She had hoped for so many nights that it wouldn't be true, that Zojja had found tracks of another Champion, any other Champion than this one. She had never spoken a word. She never would.

'I can't believe you went back there,' Caithe snarled at her lover. 'I told you not to- I told you it was dangerous! When will you start listening to me?'

'When you come back to me, my love. This is all just to prove what you are missing out on. We could be the most powerful beings in the world - with this power that was granted us.'

'I can't believe you're now associating with that which I have sworn to kill!'

'You've killed your Dragon, haven't you? And for you to be vowing murder, the Nightmare truly is in your mind already.'

'You are on my mind. Only you are always on my mind.'

'You won't tell anyone, will you?' Faolain asked. She was so close, Caithe could almost imagine her being normal again. She wanted to scream, to yell, to hit her, to vent all her frustrations, to end them all, but she didn't. She couldn't, when those lips pressed against her own and those long fingers tangled in her hair. She sighed.

'I won't. If possible, I will protect you, my love.'

'Keep up, Caithe!' Eir called as the group came to a halt. Rytlock stepped forward again, his sword slashing through the vines. Every time a vine went down, the fortress rumbled, closing out a little more daylight. Caithe realized she'd been lost in thought and took a few quick steps. She wanted to focus, but memories of days she'd never get back kept clouding her mind.

'What's up with you?' Zojja gave Caithe a sideways look. 'I'd say I'd rather lose you if you're going to space out but since the disastrous consequences of the last time we lost a useless teammate, I'd rather not take any chances.'

'Zojja's right,' Rytlock agreed. 'Focus, or turn back. I'm not saving your hide if you fail to do your task.'

'Enough,' Logan interrupted. 'I know you're going to hate me for saying this, but we're a team. No one gets left behind.' Zojja stuck her nose in the air as she explicitly ignored Logan and Rytlock snorted, but did not reply. Caithe stayed close to Logan, for now, trying to keep her legs from shaking. What would she do, when the time came to face their foe? Would she watch as Sohothin came down on Faolain? As Eir's arrows pierced her skin? Would she fight? Would she be able to?

'Caithe, I want you to be honest with me now.' Soft fingers on her shoulders, she felt warm breath in her neck. She pressed against the figure in front of her, finding some comfort in her warmth. Caithe hummed in response to her question.

'Are you even listening?'

'Yes, Faolain,' Caithe laughed. The other smiled back at her, amber eyes gleaming, but then bit her lip and hesitated. Caithe's eyes sparkled with curiosity. 'Well?' she asked, softly.

'Will you be mine forever?' Faolain asked breathlessly. Caithe smiled, then pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

'If it is within my power, then yes.'

'Do you promise?'

'I do.' Sohothin burned another path, the smoke struggling to find its way out to the sky through the thick network of vines. Rytlock kicked away the remains of the plant before treading deeper into the maze.

'What is real?' Caithe murmured, placing a hand on her forehead and trying to control her breathing. The world spun as she tried to keep up the pace, visions from her past fading in and out the corners of her eyes.

'Where have you been, Caithe? I have been looking for you!'

'Faolain - I didn't know, I was with Trahearne, I didn't -' she stammered, but the other was furious.

'Do you even realize how worried I was?' Faolain cried. She tipped a chair over as she said it, almost growling from pure frustration. 'Don't you know how long I've waited?'

'Faolain, I'm sorry! I keep telling you I didn't mean for this to happen, please just calm down!'

'Tell me how long I've waited, Caithe!'

'A couple of days?' Caithe stammered, backing up slowly. Magic sparked between Faolain's fingertips as she narrowed her eyes and dropped her voice dangerously low.

'Twenty years, Caithe. Twenty long years I have waited for you. Twenty cursed years since you abandoned me. '

'I- What? That was not when this happened,' Caithe suddenly realized. This was a fight they'd had long ago, before the Nightmare had even truly existed. She looked around, trying to gather her bearings. The vine maze was nowhere to be seen, only a smoky darkness that seemed to extend into eternity. 'Eir? Logan?' She called out, extending her hands in the darkness around her, hoping for someone to respond.

'Caithe? Caithe! I'm here, it's okay,' Eir's voice was soothing, and she felt her strong arms lift her up and Garm nip at her feet, but she could not see her. She floated through the endless darkness that filled her mind.

'Eir, she's in my head. She's in my head.' Caithe tried to put her arms around Eir's neck, trembling all over. Eir hushed her, and she felt she was being set down, half leaning against something.

'Here, try to calm down.' Logan said, putting a hand on her forehead softly. Slowly, the darkness waned, and Eir's worried expression came into focus. Caithe almost cried of happiness upon seeing her friends.

'I don't know if I can go on,' she ground out, willing her body to stop shaking. As she looked up at her teammates, she slowly registered their faces. Eir wore a face of absolute horror, Garm bore his fangs in a growl. Rytlock narrowed his eyes and reached for his sword, as Logan reached for his hammer. Zojja's eyes went wide, but she had her magic ready. An ice cold fear spread through Caithe's chest. Then thin fingers slid down Caithe's face and neck, and she felt soft warmth against her back.

'You don't have to go on any more, my love. You're finally here.'


	2. Where the orchid blooms

A/N: At last, here is the next chapter. Shout out to my darling Kestin who plants these ideas in my head with her theories, and also happens to be absolutely amazing :D Enjoy the story, please don't judge me for fearing this is the road ArenaNet will take.

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The next seconds were a blur. Rytlock roared and Eir yelled as Caithe felt her feet leave the floor and saw her surroundings vanish in a wave of purple butterflies fluttering by. Sohothin crashed down just behind the place where Caithe had been a fraction of a second ago, only to hit mossy ground. Then the vines came alive and thorned offshoots grew out of the ground and walls, throwing them off their feet. One hit Zojja in the back and knocked her aside, another ensnared Logan's foot and dragged him away. Eir cried out, trying to keep them together, but was too late - before she knew it, she was tightly enclosed in a pulsating vine prison, poison thorns sticking out everywhere. As quickly as the maze had come alive, it had died down again. It was strangely silent.

'Hello?' Eir cried out, trying to steady her breathing. She heard Garm let out a frightened howl in the distance.

'Eir! Eir, is that you?' a tiny voice came from behind one of the newly grown walls. She recognized it immediately.

'Zojja! Are you alright?' Eir gasped, kneeling down where she'd heard the sound.

'I'm fine! A few scratches, but nothing bad. Is everyone with you?' She seemed a little out of breath.

'No,' Eir replied solemnly. 'We all got separated.' Garm howled again in the distance.

'Well, that is most impractical. Do you recon we search for Rytlock and Logan first, or go after Caithe?' Zojja matter-of-factly asked. It had Eir thinking for a second.

'Who is the most likely to have gotten in worse trouble?' she wondered out loud. 'No use going after the Champion with just the two of us.'

'Logan it is, then. Can you cut through these vines?'

'I'll try, but it might take a while. Try to locate the others while you wait.'

.

Logan took a few seconds to catch his breath. There were poison vines wrapped around his leg up to his waist, and the scratches began to sting. Groaning, he sat up, finding himself in a narrow pathway, his legs both pulled under one of the vine walls. Carefully, he began to untangle himself from the vines and shove himself out from under the wall. He groaned in pain as his right leg emerged. His ankle was swollen en blue, and covered in bleeding wounds. Gritting his teeth, Logan tore off a piece of cloth from his armor and wound it tightly around the injured joint. It still hurt, but at least he'd be able to walk.

A piercing screech had him scrambling up on his feet and his weapon at the ready. He slowly advanced, turning the corner, his hammer in front of him. The next corridor was larger, and stretched out into multiple directions. One of the walls trembled slightly, and Logan heard the screeching, whining sound again. Suddenly, he recognized Garm's black fur, struggling against the vines trapping him. He had welts over his snout and rump, and started struggling only harder when he saw Logan closing in on him.

'It's okay, Garm, I'll get you loose,' Logan tried to soothe him, but the wolf was panicked and would bear his fangs at anyone. It whined and howled, hurting itself even more by trying to break free. Every time Logan tried to reach out for him, the wolf snapped and tried to rip Logan's arm off, his eyes bulging out of his head, foam at his mouth. Logan sighed, this wouldn't work. He turned around slowly, feigning leaving the place. He heard the wolf calm down slightly, his jerking movements less panicked. Then, quickly as he could, Logan rolled over behind the wolf, and pressed its head down with one hand, tearing off the vines with the other. In one quick movement Garm was free, and ran the pain out of his legs. When he realized he felt better, he returned to Logan's side, who awkwardly accepted the companionship.

'Come on, buddy. Better find the others.'

.

Rytlock had been walking around in circles. As soon as he'd realized they'd gotten separated, he began slashing at the vines, creating as many pathways as he could, trying to find his teammates. However, he had now already passed the spot he'd marked "X" several times and yet there was no one to be found.

'Damned maze. Damned illusion. Damned Dragons,' he muttered to himself, carving a new path in another direction. At least he could move freely, since Sohothin made short work of the vines. He stomped through dark hallways, wondering in the back of his mind whether he was still walking in circles. He turned another corner, creating another path, completely deprived from any sense of direction.

As Rytlock took a moment to decide where he should head next, he looked around. He stood at the center point where a lot of paths conjoined, with one being significantly wider than the others. The vines that formed it were less thorny, growing in smooth curves over the pathway. Rytlock shrugged and set course for the wider path - might as well take the easy route.

The path grew slightly wider and steadily darker as Rytlock walked down. He held Sohothin high, trying to cast some light on the ground before his feet. After what seemed like an eternity, the path came to a dead end. It looked most like a sandstone wall, far from smooth, with dents and cracks and moss growing on it. Rytlock rapped his sword against it a few times, but it was solid and quite sturdy. He'd have to take another path. Cursing under his breath, Rytlock turned - and stiffened when he heard the sound.

First, it sounded like a gust of wind. Then he recognized it was definitely a sigh. Then a creak, and a groan, a deep noise like the earth tearing apart. When he slowly looked over his shoulder, he noticed the wall had _eyes_.

Slowly, the thing unfolded its massive legs from under it, lifting the massive head. It looked like an Oakheart, but black as night, bore wooden tusks and it was at least three times as tall as the Charr before him. Now, Rytlock wasn't scared, but he wasn't stupid either. When the creature growled with an earth shattering volume, he turned tail and ran.

.

Caithe first noticed the tiny floating lights around her as she opened her eyes. She looked up into the ceiling of what seemed to be a circular room, where the vines wove together in elegant patterns to form a dome, and from the top tiny specks of light slowly floated down, shimmering in the shade.

A hand tenderly caressed her forehead, and Caithe slowly tilted her face. Her head lay in Faolain's lap, and when she turned, Faolain looked down at her with a calm smile.

'Welcome back, my love.' She whispered, not once taking her gaze off of Caithe's face. Her expression showed nothing but love, and Caithe couldn't help but feel like she was being shamelessly deceived. Faolain didn't look the same as before- she still donned her Nightmare garb, but it had turned darker, torn and curling at the edges. There were thorn vines around her arms and neck, thorns growing out of her hair, and even the ridges in her face seemed to have gotten deeper. Her once bright amber eyes were dark, and clouded. Caithe slowly lifted a hand to touch Faolain's face, half expecting this to be another illusion.

'Faolain,' Caithe mouthed as her fingertips ran over Faolain's rough skin. Her tongue was dry, and she could barely form the words. 'You look different.'

'Perhaps,' Faolain answered, grasping Caithe's hand carefully with her own. 'Soon, you will be different too.'

'I can't stay.' Caithe tried weakly to shake her head. Faolain put her hand over Caithe's eyes in response, chuckling softly.

'Don't you worry, dearheart. I will take care of everything.' Caithe felt the warmth spread from her eyes to her body, over and down her chest, until even her fingertips and the tips of her toes were tingling. Her limbs felt heavy, and Caithe realized in the back of her mind that her loss of vision and hearing was probably a bad thing - but by then sleep had already taken her.

Faolain pressed a kiss to her forehead and sighed softly. Thorn vines moved soundlessly over them, forming a casing that wound ever tighter, starting from Caithe's legs and steadily moving towards where Faolain pressed her cheek to Caithe's forehead and listened to her quiet breathing.

'Forever is only a breath away now for us,' she whispered, for the first time in a long time knowing that her lover could hear her. 'I will make it happen. I promise, my love.'

.

Garm heard the commotion before Logan did, but when they realized there would be trouble, both moved. Garm ran towards the sound, barking low in his throat for Logan to follow him. Logan had wanted to turn away and first see what was raging through the maze and whether they could avoid it, but he couldn't possibly think of a way to convince Garm, of all companions he could've had, to understand his point of view.

'Oh boy,' he muttered to himself and he set a rapid pace and followed the wolf around the corners, as the crashing sound grew ever louder.

Rytlock passed them without even halting his step for a single second, only grunting 'Wrong way,' as he sped past him. Garm came to a screeching halt, waited for a moment that seemed to last forever, and then the monster came into view. His ears fell flat, and almost howling he ran after Rytlock, leaving Logan once again. Logan braced himself. This was it. The monster came running towards him on massive legs, creating a trail of carnage behind it, the giant logs that served as legs making the earth shake. Logan waited, his heart racing in his throat, and at the very last second, he jumped aside, rolling over and swinging his hammer. He hit the beast's hind leg, making it screech and howl and try to turn.

Rytlock slowly turned around as he heard the sound. He half expected the beast to be placidly pulling the remains of Logan out of its tusks, but the opposite was true. It was furious, howling and screeching in pain, but Logan was _fine_. Garm perked up, eyes gleaming and his battle spirits returning in full. Rytlock gave him the side eye, murmuring 'Who are you loyal to, anyway?' before unsheathing his sword and aiding his brother in the attack. They might as well take this thing down best they could.

.

'Maybe this way,' Eir suggested meekly. Every darned path looked the same and there was no trace of their teammates. Zojja's mood got worse by the minute, and Eir feared it wouldn't take much for Zojja to simply turn her back on the mission and declare it failed, and all of them as casualties.

'Or that one, or that one, there's no logic to it, it doesn't really matter, now does it, unless Rytlock or Logan just _happens_ to choose the same path we did, but they might be dead for all we know. We might actually be walking in circles because that mesmer is in our heads too.' Zojja muttered under her breath, kicking away at the vines before her. This was _not_ going according to plan.

'How are we even going to kill her? I mean, I had expected some monster, but this -'

'Wait.' Eir interrupted her, 'what do you mean, kill her?'

'The champion. That Sylvari.' Zojja stated matter of factly, ready to roll her eyes, but then her jaw dropped. 'You didn't know,' she gasped, looking at Eir with a face of utter confusion. Eir's face had turned a few shades whiter than before, and now she swallowed thickly.

'Oh. I didn't, I didn't realize-'

'You thought she was just there to haunt Caithe again. I get it.' Zojja said, shaking her head.

'Are you certain about this?' Eir asked, hoping against better judgment this was just a cruel joke on Zojja's part. However, when no answer came, Eir closed her eyes and sighed.

'Well, that complicates things. And explains Caithe's behaviour, frankly.'

'So how do we kill it?' Zojja repeated, her tone a little more sorrowful than before.

'By making sure Caithe doesn't try to do anything stupid.'

Zojja jumped when Rytlock came crashing through the wall in front of them, taking with him a cloud of dust, mud and debris. He groaned slightly before getting up and wiping his face with his dirty sleeve. When he saw Eir and Zojja staring at him with mouths ajar, and in Eir's case a half-hidden smirk, he growled.

'Well, you guys are bloody on time. We've almost got this thing down!' As they simultaneously turned their heads to where Rytlock had come flying from, a plan formed. Logan and Garm danced nimbly around the beast, keeping it from focusing on one target. Eir reached for the bow on her back and grabbed a single arrow. Zojja stood next to her, enchanting the shot, flames sprouting from the sharp arrowtip. Eir tensed her bow, breathed slowly, and let it fly. The moment the arrow pierced the beast between the eyes, Rytlock ran closer and thrust his sword up into the neck of the beast. As he pulled it out, the smoldering remains of its insides came with it, and he was just in time to avoid getting crushed as the thorn monster sank through its knees and collapsed. For a moment, there was only the sound of heavy breathing and the dying flames on the burning plants, until Logan broke the silence.

'Oh, there you all are. Well, how convenient.'

Garm flopped back to Eir's side, looking happy as ever. For a moment, they all stared at the monster they had felled. Eir looked from Garm to Rytlock and Logan then couldn't help a smile.

'Well, against all odds it seems like we have no casualties,' Zojja chirped, seemingly pleasantly surprised.

'Excellent work, team, absolutely brilliant!' A voice from behind agreed with her, accompanied by the sound of quick footsteps approaching. Zojja's ears twitched and then she looked over her shoulder, her face quickly turning sickly grey, her eyes wide open. She mouthed a word a few times, but couldn't find the strength to actually make a sound. Garm trotted forward, bearing his fangs.

'Zojja, my dear student. How good to see you. I must say, I am surprised to see you still alive.' Zojja just shook her head, her hands trembling. She tried to speak again, but a cold feeling was spreading through her chest, stealing her breath away. For a moment she thought it was fear, but then she realized it was far more invasive, far more aggressive than any emotion of hers could have been, and the force was suffocating her. Snaff's eyes narrowed as he looked at her.

'Then again, I don't know why my expectations of you were so high. You've done nothing but disappoint me.' Zojja clawed at her throat, suddenly noticing her surroundings disappearing, only Snaff coming towards her more rapidly than she would have wished for.

The next moment the void disappeared and Snaff flew through the air, smashing into a wall before vanishing. Rytlock stood breathing heavily, sword in hand, at the point where Snaff's image had been.

'Ghosts,' he grunted. 'I also hate ghosts.'

Zojja sank through her knees, and Eir kneeled next to her as her shoulders started shaking.

'Hush now,' Eir said to her, pulling her into a soft embrace. 'It's that mesmer. Don't believe the lies she's planting in your head.' Zojja just shook her head again, trying to keep from sobbing.

'Stay alert!' Logan called out as darkness took their visions again, though this time, they could see each other, at least. The maze had vanished and had been replaced with gray clouded emptiness. Rytlock looked around him, sword at the ready.

'We'll get that sorceress this time. I am done with her games.'

'Won't you play games with me, Logan?' A feminine voice asked. Logan swirled around and stood frozen. 'Your majesty,' he stammered, but then shook his head and readied his hammer.

'That's not Jennah, Logan!' Eir roared, and side by side with Rytlock engaged the attack. Just before their blades hit target Jennah's image vanished, revealing others in her place. A tall norn and a battle-worn Charr stood before them, vanishing as quickly as they had appeared.

'I will not let you get into my head again!' Zojja screeched as she started hurling magic at the images of her past.

'What do we do?' Logan gasped, standing back-to-back with Rytlock. 'This could go on forever.' Eir had pulled out her bow and started firing rounds. The images disappearing, screaming and howling, but the arrows floating in the darkness remained. Zojja lowered her hands, eyes narrowing as she looked at the arrows sticking out in odd angles. They had to be stuck in the vine walls, invisible to them now, unless she _made them visible_.

'Why are you all fighting?' Caithe appeared out of thin air, a smile on her face. For a moment, the group lowered their weapons. Caithe laughed cheerfully, ringing like a bell. 'We can all be happy here. Everyone we have ever missed will be there. Come, lay down your weapons. I will show you around.'

'Caithe..' Eir stammered, and immediately Zojja nudged her hard, bringing her back to her senses. She would _end_ this.

'Stand back!' she called out and let fire fly around her hands. She took a deep breath, a look of concentration on her face, then spread her fire out around her. When she opened her eyes, there were walls of fire burning, showing them where the vine walls actually were, the visions momentarily gone. Eir shook her head to focus and immediately regained the lead.

'This way!' She yelled, stabbing another ghostly image offhandedly as she began running through Zojja's burning path. The others followed suit, breathing heavily as they ran, Zojja throwing fire every so often to ensure they would not run into any walls. Then it felt as if they ran through a curtain of ice cold rain, and suddenly the world was visible again. Eir leaned forward with her hands on her knees and tried to catch her breath. Zojja seemed energized, and more than happy to have escaped the illusion.

'Let's keep going, before she sets another trap.' Logan breathed. 'We must be getting closer.'

'Actually,' Rytlock growled, 'I think we're already there.' He pointed to his right, where a narrow pathway led into the darkness. Then, he pointed at a huge knot of vines in the roof of the maze, above where the pathway seemed to end. Zojja gasped as she understood what he meant.

'The point where all the lines gather.. that must be the center!'

.

They broke into the sanctuary with barely a noise, and Eir then gestured for them to stop. The air had turned cooler, much more pleasant to the skin, and the small room was delicate and welcoming, unlike the rest of the fortress. In the middle, a small heap of vines had formed, still writhing slowly on top of each other.

Eir approached carefully, slowly looking around. She was alert and ready to defend at any second, as she expected to be hit from an unseen corner in a fraction of a second. Her breathing roared loudly in her ears. Then a chuckle send chills down her spine, and a low, feminine, mocking voice echoed around the room.

'So, you have escaped from the pleasant prison I built you. And now you are here.'

'Show yourself!' Logan shouted, hammer at the ready. Garm turned his ears, trying to pinpoint where the sound was coming from.

Faolain came up out of the writhing vines, as if awaking from slumber. Her eyes were narrowed and even though she feigned amusement, the air was trembling with her anger. They all felt it pulsing around them, and it made the hair in their necks stand up.

'What you are looking for is already lost to you. I will grant you one chance to turn back now, and live your pointless little lives. If you stay, I will take them from you.'

'Where is Caithe!' Eir demanded harshly. Faolain smirked, but then cast her gaze down and shook her head. 'I will give her your regards, Eir Stegalkin.' As if on cue, both Logan and Rytlock sprinted forward, slashing at where Faolain had been. She vanished and reappeared a few steps further, her lips still curled into that mocking grin.

'Try all you want, you will never hit me.' Zojja fell into the chase, casting her magic, but it was like aiming for a ghost. Faolain disappeared and reappeared at will, bending their magic back at them, and making Eir's arrows change course. Then her magic sparked between her fingertips and she countered their attacks, blades of purple magic spinning around her hands. Logan ran in front of the vine mount when Faolain targeted his bound ankle and hit the injured joint. Logan cried out and sank through his knees, holding his leg. Rytlock was distracted for a moment to look at him, and immediately took a hit in the guts.

'Keep going!' Logan groaned, 'don't let her distract you!' He tried to catch his breath and keep the pain under control. Of course, she'd _had_ to target his weak point, he thought, gritting his teeth. He put one hand against the mount to pull himself up, when he suddenly saw slender fingers between the vines. They were almost the same colour, but then he recognized the shape, and his eyes widened in surprise.

'Caithe!' he called out, immediately tugging at the vines, breaking them off and throwing them aside. He heard Faolain cry out in torment behind him as he revealed her arm, and then managed to shove a bunch of vile thorns aside with his shoulder. As light shone upon her face, Caithe's eyes shot open and she sat up, gasping as if she broke through a water surface.

'No!' Faolain cried, and she appeared behind Caithe, her eyes wide and her shoulders trembling. With a slashing gesture of her hand she shot Logan back, away from Caithe, and then leaned protectively over the other Sylvari. She pushed down with both hands on Caithe's chest, pinning her down, screeching at her foes before her.

'Every time you lot have come and tried to steal her away from me! For twenty years I have stood at the sidelines and watched as you poisoned her to me! Now I will take your poison and her memories of you from her, and all will be as should be,' she glanced at Caithe, who struggled weakly. 'This time no one will stand in my way as I take back what has always been _rightfully mine!' _Faolain howled, her voice breaking. She lifted her hands and Caithe tried to push her away, but then her claws dug deep into Caithe's chest and Faolain's black poison spread once more around her heart, its smoky tendrils reaching out like a star towards her limbs, torso and neck. Caithe's eyes rolled back and she started spasming, her hands clawing desperately at Faolain's arms, trying to get her to stop.

Eir didn't hesitate for a second. She jumped high and brought her knife down, leaving a deep gash over Faolain's chest as she rolled away, heaving and growling deep in her throat. Faolain threw magic left and right, and they rolled and jumped to avoid her deadly blades. Then she lifted her hands and the floor came alive, burning and writhing as they stood on a sea of living plants, now all bending to Faolain's will. As thorns shot out and slowed them down, she ran towards the vine altar where she had left her lover. Faolain kneeled down and stretched her arms to carefully cradle Caithe and lift her up, but Logan took aim and threw his heavy hammer, hitting her in the side. She was thrown aside, for a moment paralyzed and gasping for air. Zojja sat Caithe upright, who was dazed and her eyes were unfocused. The sounds of battle roared as Rytlock swung his sword and Eir and Garm closed in from the other side.

'Stop!' Caithe's voice echoed through the room, and the paths connected to it. She stood up, a little uneasy on her legs as the poison swirled beneath her skin. It reached up to her cheeks, a black stain that went down halfway her arms and onto her legs. As she raised her voice it stabilized, and she regained her posture. 'Stop,' she said again, a little more resolute. 'Faolain is right.'

'Caithe, please-' Eir tried, but Caithe silenced her with a single look. She stepped down from the vines and walked towards the other. Dragon Champion, Grand Duchess, Sylvari Firstborn, Faolain. With every step the woman before her became less terrifying and more like the person she had once known, and her shells of power and grandeur fell off of her when Caithe extended her hand and helped her up. Faolain melted against her, unable to express what she felt as Caithe came to her of her own accord. They looked at each other, swimming through memories of clouded judgment and wrong decisions and every day that they had known and still loved each other against all odds, and for a moment they imagined the future that would be. Caithe lovingly laid her left hand in Faolain's neck and pulled her close for a tender kiss. Faolain's eyes widened in shock, then closed slowly as she slumped against Caithe.

Caithe's right hand was holding her dagger, now buried to the hilt in Faolain's chest. As she pulled it out and let it drop out of her hand, her knees gave in and she held her former lover as they fell down. Faolain's hand brushed over Caithe's heart, and Caithe knew Faolain could have taken her life right then, even if it were with her final strength, but she did not. She hung limp in Caithe's arms as the world stopped spinning and Caithe could only stare at what she had done.

.

There were no tears. The tears came much later, back home, in the warmth of the Grove and where the emptiness became that much more painful. For the others it was another Champion slain, but Caithe could never see it that way. There was no victory, only loss.

She put down the white lilies she had brought at the place they had buried her many years ago, in the center of the vine dome. She knew the maze by heart now, even though she only came here once a year. On the grave a small purple orchid had sprouted, but it didn't grow any bigger. It was just a single flower, always blooming, and sometimes, it would be accompanied by a ghostly purple butterfly, that would vanish as soon as one noticed it.

'I am sorry, my love,' Caithe said as she kneeled at the grave. 'I did not keep my promise.' She sighed. There were always things she had wanted to say when she had the chance, and the regret ran deeper each year. The poison stain had faded, but never quite disappeared, and Caithe liked it that way.

'Some day, you will love again,' Eir said softly from the entrance of the room. 'Not even sorrow lasts forever. Nothing does.' She had accompanied Caithe here a few times before, and even though Caithe didn't speak her feelings much, she knew Caithe appreciated it.

'But I never stopped loving,' Caithe smiled through her tears. 'Lives don't last forever, but as long as I live, I will cherish the love that was given to me.'

'Say goodbye now, Caithe. We ought to be going back.' Eir said gently. Caithe nodded, and let her fingertips play carefully over the delicate orchid leaves.

'Good night, my love. Until we meet again.'


End file.
